Process and apparatus for treating hydrocarbons



Oct. 13, 1931. c u s 1,827,076

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCAKBONS Original Filed 00%. 30, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 xxx '0c1. 13, 1931. P, Du'BBs 1,827,076

PROCESS AND APPAPUVIUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Original Filed Oct. 30, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ntented Oct. 13, 1931 nmrnnysrnrns nane rnaaur orricn @ARBQN l. WBIBS, F wrnnm'rrn, IMINOIfi, ASSEGNQB '10 UNIVERSAL OIL I BODUGTS I COWANY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CQRPOBATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA I TROUESS AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDBOGARBONS Application filed October 30, 1920, Serial This invention relates to process for treating hydrocarbons, and specifically relates to that type of process in which the petroleum oil is cracked in a battery of stills, each provided with its own condensing and receiving apparatus but all connected to a common ineondensable gas header. The incondensable gas header serves to balance the pressure on the entire condensing part of the apparatus but has no balancing eil'ect on the stills. A uniform pressure is, however, automatically maintained on the stills themselves through another gas header having no connection with the condensing part of the system. This last mentioned gas header may be filled with natural gas, stack gas or other incondensable gas. A ditl'erential pressure is maintained on the system by means of automatic reducing valves interposed in the vapor outlets of the 2.) stills, the arrangement being such as to maintain, say 150' pounds pressure on the stills, and 140 pounds pressure on the condensing part otthe apparatus. .The reflux condensate may nevertheless be continuously re- 23 turned to the stills for further treatment.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation ofmy improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. 7 lit is to be understood that theviews are somewhat diagrammatic. Referrin in detail to the drawings, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 designate the stills forming the hattery. In the present instance, these are shown as of the shell or cylindrical type although any form of still may be used. I have shown live stills in the present instance but it is to he understood that as many as twenty stills or more may be connected up in one battery. The stills are mounted in suitable furnaces whereby they may be independently heated if desired. Each still is provided with a i residue drawofi pipe 6, controlled by throttle valve 7 and with a vapor outlet pipe 8, connected to an aerial condenser 9. This aerial condenser 9 in the present instance is shown as taking the form of an inclined pipe, as tor example, a pipe of 24" diameter. The lower end or this pipe is provided with an enlarged trap portion 10, which is connected by pipe 11 No. 420,674. Renewed January 28, 1929.

having valve 12 to the suction side of a charging pump 13. This charging pump 13 is also connected to any suitable source of raw oil supply and its discharge side connects to feed line 14 leading to the corresponding still 1. The vapor pipe 8 is provided with automatic reducing valve 15 arranged to make up any diderence in pressure between the still and condensing part of the apparatus. The upper part of each pipe 9 connects to a water condenser coil 16 seated in condenser box 17. The lower end of each coil 16 is connected by pipe 18 to the upper part of a receiver 19. Each receiver is provided with a liquid level gauge 20 and pressure gauges 21. Pressure gauges 22 are provided for each still. Each receiver 19 is provided with a liquid distillate drawofi pipe 23 controlled by throttle valve 24: and leading to a common distillate header 25 provided with master throttle valve 26. The upper part of each receiver is provided with gas outlet pipe 27, controlled by throttle valve28, these pipes 27 leading to a common uncondensable gas header 29v controlled by master throttle valve 30. The arrangement is such that by operating the valve 30, the

pressure on the entire condensing apparatus then in use may be automatically controlled.

. In the sameway, the pressure on the stills then cut into the system may be automatical ly controlled through the reducing valves 15. For example, if the stills were operating at 100 pounds pressure, the automatic valves 15 may be so set that there will be a. difference of say, ten pounds, between the stills and the condensing part of the apparatus. In such cases, by regulating the valve 30 so as to have 190 pounds pressure on the condensing part of the apparatus a pressure of 100 pounds will be maintained on the stills.

The reflux may, however, be continuously returned through the pipes 11 to the stills for the reason that the pipes 11 are connected to the suction side of the pumps. The automatic valves are so arranged that practically no gas will tlow back into thestills from the condensers.

Referring now to the important feature of my invention, each still is provided with a small gas outlet pipe 31 controlled by valve 100 i 32 and leading to an outside gas header 33.

i on stream.

This gas header 33 is connected by means of pipe 34- having throttle valve 35 to a gas tank 36, This gas tanlrfifi is adapted to stand. pressure and is provided with a pressure ump 37. The arrangement is such that incondensable gas, such as natural gas, may be supplied to any still automatically when there is a tendency for that still to drop below its operating pressure. For example, if the still should be maintained at 100 pounds pressure, the pump 37 is so operated that the instant there is any fall in pressure inany given still, gas is pumped from the 36 into such still, This is true during the time that the stills are on stream and the process operating.

lln' operating the process, the stills may be charged with gas oil or fuel oil and heated to an oil temperature of say, 759 (legs. l and the stills maintained under a pressure of 100 pounds while the condensing apparatus is maintained under a pressure of say, 90 pounds. The pressure on the entire battery may be controlled by the master valve 30. The heavier fractions as they pass out of the still are condensed in the aerials and automatically pumped back into the stills. If there is any tendency for the still to fall below its operating pressure, gas will flow in from the tank 36. When any still is cold, it may be entirely out out of the system but an initial pressure may be maintained on such still during its rise in temperature to operating temperature by introducing from the gas tank 36. This will hasten getting this still lt is to be noted that the gas header 29 has no effect whatsoever on the stills, as far as balancing the pressure between the respective stills is concerned but does effectively control the pressure on the system.

l claim. as my invention:

1. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil, consisting in maintaining a plurality of inde pendent bodies of oil at a cracking tempera-- ture, normally under a uniform self-genes? ated superatmospheric vapor pressure, in talr- Kill (til

ing 0d vapors evolved from each of said bodies of oil in sub ectin such vauors to ini b l de endent de ohle mation and. condensation under a uniform superatmospheric gaseous pressure, lower than the superatmospheric pressure maintained on said independent bodies of oil, and in supplying to, said oil bodies an extraneous uncondensable gas in the event of adecrease in the self-generated vapor pressure on said independent bodies of oil, to maintain the pressure conditions on said bodies of oil constant. 3

2. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil, consistingin maintaining a plurality of iii-- dependent bodies of oil at a cracking temperature, normally under a uniform self-gener ated vapor pressure, in com ensating for any decrease in the uniform sell-generated vapor pressure by supplying to said independent bodies of oil a gaseous medium under pressure from an extraneous source, in subjectingthe vapors evolved from said independ ent bodies of oil to dephlegmation and condensation under a predetermined lower superatniospheric pressure than is maintained on said independent bodies of oil,

3. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil, consisting in maintaining a plurality of in dependent bodies of oil at a cracking temper ature, normally under a uniform self-generated vapor pressure, in compensating for any decrease in the uniform self-generated vapor pressure by supplying to said independent loodies of oil a gaseous medium under pressure from an extraneous source, in subjecting the vapors evolved from said independent bodies of oil to dephlegmation and condensation under a predetermined lower superatmospheric pressure than is maintained on said independent bodies of oil, and in returning reflux condensate separated from the vapors under such lower pressure to said oil bodies under a mechanically imposed pressure, whereby said reflux condensate may be further treated under the pres sure conditions maintained on said independent bodies of oil.

i. A process for cracking hydrocarbon oil, consisting in maintaining a plurality of independent bodies of oil at a cracking temperature, normally under uniform self-generated vapor pressure, in compensating for any decrease in the uniform self-generated vapor pressure by supplying to said independent bodies of oil a gaseous medium under pressure from an extraneous source, in subjecting the vapors evolved from said independent bodies of oil to dephlegmation and condensation,

5. An apparatus for cracking oil, comprising a battery of stills, means for taking of? vapors from each still, separate means for dephlegmating the vapors taken oil from each still, a separate condenser and receiver associated with each dephlegmating means, a common gas header connected to said receivers to permit the maintaining of a uniform pressure on all 'of the condensers, a second header, means for selectively connecting said second header to each still, means connecting said second header with a source of extraneous gas, and means for forcing entraneous gas through said header into selected stills of the batter I l y CARBQN 

